


Gifted Girls and Why Critics Should Leave Them Be

by GalaxyAqua



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: ... I've always wanted to use that tag, F/F, Gen, Girls' Night, Iruma Miu herself gave this fic a higher rating, Iruma Miu's Dirty Mouth, Movie Night, Sleepovers, Slice of Life, girls loving girls, honestly there's no set relationships they all just flirt with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 13:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16175888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyAqua/pseuds/GalaxyAqua
Summary: “I am still wondering if we should be using this time to do our homework instead.” Toujou comments, and it’s met with a resounding groan that’s possibly so heavy it shakes the room itself.(Or, the girls hold a sleepover in Akamatsu's room and it's a bonding experience.)





	Gifted Girls and Why Critics Should Leave Them Be

**Author's Note:**

> the title of this fic is unnecessarily long because that's just the mood for today by fall out boy

“I am still wondering if we should be using this time to do our homework instead.” Toujou comments, and it’s met with a resounding groan that’s possibly so heavy it shakes the room itself.

She sighs and dutifully folds her hands in her lap, resigned to her fate as overseer of the seven other rambunctious girls who have chosen to drag her to this ‘girls’ night’ – and briefly wonders how far into the night they will advance until every one single of them passes out from exhaustion and leaves her to clean up the mess.

Technically, they’re in Akamatsu’s room so the tidying should fall on Akamatsu, but Toujou cannot help but look at the state of the room and _want_ to pack it up. What with all the tattered music scores and shirts and skirts that are half-hazardously stuffed into the closet – it is as though Akamatsu had just shoved all her belongings inside and hoped nobody would notice.

“It is merely a suggestion,” Toujou continues, not faltering even as Yumeno falls sleepily into her lap. She pats her like a kitten while she speaks. “As we do have an assignment deadline on the coming Monday, and I am well aware that none of you have started the assignment, save for Shirogane-san.” She nods at the girl who waves shyly. “And pardon me for speaking out of line, but I believe Iruma-san is eating far too much ice-cream to be considered healthy.”

“Hey, why’re you singling me out?! Stop bein’ such a cockblock, _mom!_ ” Iruma hollers, lifting her spoon from the tub of ice-cream in her hands and flipping Akamatsu off as she leans in to lick from it. Akamatsu must feel contested, because she steals the whole spoonful before Iruma kicks her off the bed with a scream. “Oi! Bakamatsu, get your own!”

“What’s she cockblocking,” Chabashira mutters suspiciously.

“This baby’s sweet love affair,” Iruma quips, before she shoves a fresh spoon of ice-cream into her mouth and voices a very inappropriate, “Ohhh hell yeah! Get right in there, you sexy cold piece of frozen dairy! Right there, mm, yes, right there–”

“Iruma-san, come _on_ ,” Akamatsu scolds, clambering back up onto the mattress and tugging on her arm, making her yelp. “If you’re gonna bring that to the sleepover, you can at least share!”

“And you can keep yer hands to yourself, ya damn perv!”

“Thanks! I’m confiscating it now!” Akamatsu lunges for the ice-cream, and Iruma squeals.

“E-eeek! W-what the hell…! Fine! Geez! You can have some, you monster! But you better give it back!”

“This movie makes me sleepy.” Yumeno laments, burying her face in her hands. “I wanna go to bed. Bedtime now.”

“Yes! Let’s go to bed!” Chabashira chirps with too much energy for the statement itself, pumping both fists into the air. She bounces to her feet so quickly that Toujou briefly wonders if she had been itching for a chance to move since the movie begun. “Goodnight, everybody! Time to rest our weary spirits!”

“Nuh-uh,” Angie yanks her back down by the sleeve. “We’re all in this together! Nobody leaves until everybody leaves, Ten-ko,” she sings the girl’s name and Chabashira deflates a little. “Did you forget?”

“Tenko didn’t forget,” she admits. “B-but Yumeno-san is tired, so Tenko thought, you know, maybe we could make an exception!”

“Yumeno-san is always tired, and it’s only 9pm,” Akamatsu’s socked foot pokes at the magician with a snigger. She bats at the offending foot with a groan. “C’mon, sit down, we’ll put on a movie that’s sure to keep everyone awake!”

“Oh no.” Toujou says.

“Oh _yes_ ,” Akamatsu winks at her and snatches Iruma’s spoon as well (“Hey, fuck you, Asskamatsu!” Iruma shouts) before waltzing over to the screen and exiting out of the film that was playing. Harukawa seems to let out an audible sigh of relief at that, which makes the pianist laugh again, much softer this time. “Was it really that bad, Harukawa-san?”

“Yes.”

“Were you really going to sit through the whole thing without saying anything?”

“...yes.” Harukawa puffs out her cheeks. “I’m not used to… things like this. At all, really. I thought you were enjoying it, and it’s not like I hated it.”

“Fair enough,” Akamatsu nods, idly flicking through the menu to find another movie to put on.

“Oh my goodness, wait a minute,” Shirogane gasps suddenly, seeming to finally find it time to join the conversation. Her eyes are wide behind her spectacles as she grasps Harukawa’s hands. “You said you’re not used to things like this? Is this your first sleepover, Harukawa-san?”

“Ah. Well.” Harukawa blinks at her for a moment, before she ducks her head in shame. “Maybe… yeah.”

All the girls (bar Toujou, who has some semblance of tact at least) stare openly at her.

Harukawa fidgets with one of her pigtails. “What are you looking at?”

“Harukawa-san!” Chabashira exclaims, sounding betrayed. “Why didn’t you say anything!?”  

“It’s no big deal.” She murmurs. “Besides, Yumeno is tired. We should let her rest.”

“I’m awake,” Yumeno adds, jerking out of Toujou’s lap, yawning all the while which does nothing to support her point. “I’ll –” she yawns again, raising a finger to signal to wait for her to finish, “Stay awake for you.”

“Yeah! Now we’ve gotta make it extra special!” Akamatsu agrees, putting the foot down. “For Harukawa-san’s first girls’ night!”

“Hooboy, I have an idea that’ll make it extra, _extra_ special, if you catch my drift,” Iruma offers with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows and this time it’s Angie that puts her in her place, smacking her with the nearest pillow and then looking away when Iruma glares at her. “Hey! I mean it! She’d be seein’ stars after we’re done! Hey! Hey, don’t ignore me, you little–!”

“Come, come, Maki,” Angie tuts, completely ignoring the inventor’s vengeance as the pillow rebounds off her head, and another one sails past her and falls limply to the floor. “We can still turn this around! We are going to have the best night together! It is as God says!”

“You really don’t have to do anything.” Harukawa says, cheeks warming at all the attention. “I was fine with whatever you had planned. Really.”

“No way. Just for that, I’m moving curfew until at least one.” Akamatsu waves her off dismissively. Yumeno mumbles something about a cruel dictatorship, but at least manages to stay upright.

“Feh! That’s nothing! Sleep is for the weak!” Iruma says, thrusting two fingers in the air as she’s pelted by another cushion, courtesy of Angie. “Push it ‘til two, and then we’ll show Harukawa a really good time!”

“No.” Harukawa replies. She gets hit as Iruma lobs the cushion at her and slips free from Shirogane’s hands to throw it back. Iruma wails.

“We’ll see how we go, but there’s always next time,” Akamatsu promises, depositing the ice-cream and spoon onto the side table as she strides towards her closet. Toujou finds herself worrying about exactly what will fall out of Akamatsu’s closet should she be brave enough to open the bulging doors.

Akamatsu, however, doesn’t seem to be worried at all.

She yanks the doors open and submits to her fate – which is, at most, a few skirts falling down and three stuffed cats pummelling into her one by one. She seems surprised that nothing else falls out, but nevertheless, starts tugging the spare duvets down from the top shelf.

She tosses them over her shoulder with a huff, letting them fly freely into the air behind her. One cloaks Harukawa and Shirogane completely (the latter squeaking as the blanket lands neatly on top of her) and the other is caught by Toujou, who folds the duvet neatly and sets it aside.

Shirogane and Harukawa are climbing out of the duvet when Akamatsu turns around and smiles.

“So here’s the plan, girls,” the pianist announces. “Everybody get comfy, ‘cause we’re gonna watch a horror movie, yes, you heard me–” As she says this, a look of understandable horror also happens to cross multiple faces. “– but there’s a catch!”  

“Oh no,” Toujou says again.

“Oh _yes_ ,” Akamatsu tosses back gleefully. “Whoever screams first has to treat everyone to breakfast tomorrow! At the family restaurant just outside school!”

“Oh, nevermind,” Toujou rescinds.

“Except Toujou-san,” Akamatsu amends. “If Toujou-san screams, we’re going to all make breakfast and she can watch us burn the kitchen down."

“ _No_.” Toujou hopes she looks as horrified as she feels. “I did not take you as a sadist, Akamatsu-san.”

“It's all in good fun, I promise!”

“Oi! That’s hardly fair!” Iruma protests. “Y’all know I’m vocal as fuck!”

“This is like the quiet game!” Chabashira exclaims in an equally indignant tone. “My master used to make Tenko play it - it’s where you have to be quiet and you lose when you make a noise!”

“It’s not quite that extreme this time around. We are watching something that might make us scream, after all,” Shirogane notes.

Harukawa tips her head slightly. “What’s there to be scared about in a movie, anyway? It’s just moving pictures on a screen.”

The room stills. Toujou briefly observes that everyone is staring at Harukawa again, and she makes herself a mental reminder to teach all the girls some manners when it comes to staring.

“Harukawa-san,” Shirogane starts imploringly. “Have you never seen a horror movie, either?”

Harukawa squints at her. “To be honest, I don’t watch many movies, except…”

“Except…?”

“... animated movies.” She finishes, blushing faintly. Another beat of silence. “Well, it’s just what they showed at the orphanage.” She clarifies. “I don’t think scaring the kids would have been helpful at all, so that’s all we watched.”

“Oohooh! Fuck yeah!” Iruma cheers, sliding off of the bed to hook her arm around Harukawa’s very stiff shoulders. “Animated movies are the shit! Yo, you might be scary as hell sometimes, but you’re actually cute deep down, aren’t ya?!”

“Iruma-san,” Akamatsu says exasperatedly, finger hovering over her laptop. “Please let her go so we can start the movie.”

“It’s alright.” Harukawa nods at her, gingerly peeling herself out of Iruma’s grip. “You can put on the scary movie. I won’t be screaming either way.”

“Well, I ain’t gonna scream either! You won’t hear a single peep from me!” Iruma seems to take this as a challenge, as she puffs out her chest. And hooks her arm over Harukawa’s shoulders again. Harukawa elbows her in the chest.

“Me neither!” Angie raises her hand.

Chabashira shakily follows the action, but she looks as though she’s plotting her escape through the window, or at least to taking an hour-long bathroom break.

Yumeno mumbles her own affirmative, and Shirogane cups her hands over her mouth but gives Akamatsu the go-ahead to play the movie.

Toujou nods when Akamatsu exchanges a silent look with her — and the pianist breaks into another smile.

Simple requests, Toujou thinks, are easy to satisfy.

 

* * *

 

They hold up fairly well, all things considered.

Toujou has no problem holding her tongue, being far too composed to fall for any of the cinematic tricks, but a few jumpscares in and she finds Chabashira buried into her side, while Yumeno has in fact crawled closer to the film, and is now fixated on the happenings on-screen.

Angie is in a similar state, both smaller girls gazing upon the horror in awe, and Iruma has now grabbed hold of Shirogane as well and the two girls banter lightly with Harukawa over the stupidity of the main character.

The main character who then opens his apartment door to the knocking and the mechanical whirring outside in the middle of the night. And, despite all clichés, there’s a man with an axe. He swings. 

Akamatsu screams.

“Out!” Iruma shrieks at her, laughing hysterically as the pianist play-punches her. “Guess you’re treating us tomorrow, cowtits! How does it feel to have your own plan backfire on you?!”

“Ah, I guess I played myself,” Akamatsu laughs. “But I don’t mind, I’m gonna yank you all out of bed to go with me, 6am sharp, so that’s going to be fun!”

“No… mornings are more terrifying than this movie is,” Yumeno whines.

“You are so brave, Yumeno-san…!” Chabashira sobs, flashing her a thumbs up even while her face is buried in Toujou’s shoulder.

A sudden smack on the television makes all the girls jolt, and by the end of the film, they’re all either laughing or crying or cuddling up to the nearest person for support. Even Harukawa, who claimed she wouldn’t scare at all, has her fingers buried tight in Toujou’s other sleeve.

“Aww, you think this is bad?” Shirogane giggles into her hands, before holding them in front of her like a zombie, and tilting her head. “You know… there are some things so horrifying and unspeakable that it’s too macabre to show on television, unless all you wanna see is a corpse party!”

“That’s quite the sentence coming from you, Shirogane-san,” Toujou remarks, unfazed, and more than anything, admiring the girl’s tolerance for horror despite her unassuming and demure appearance. “Are you perhaps trying to scare us yourself?”

“But you’re too cute to be scary!” Akamatsu exclaims, cooing at Shirogane who waves her off, flustered.

“Too cute! Yes, you are, aren’t you?” Angie joins in, pressing her cheek to Shirogane’s, and the cosplayer yelps.

“No, really, I’m not…! I am plain, that’s all…!”

“Every girl is cute!” Chabashira shouts, suddenly invigorated. She makes some chopping motions into the air, presumably to stave off excess energy. “But only if they wanna be! There’s no reason why a girl can’t choose how she wants to present herself!”

“I, for one, have three words for ya,” Iruma contributes, holding up three fingers. “Hot. As. Fuck.”

Akamatsu snorts. “Gold star, Iruma-san. That’s tamer than I expected from you.”

“I mean, big-ass titties works, too,” she shrugs. “But I thought that was a given! Just look at these voluptuous babies! Man, brains _and_ beauty?! Hahaha! I really do have it all!”

“I take it back! Think of the children!”

Yumeno raises her hand. “Hi, I’m the children.”

“And you’re absolutely precious,” Akamatsu says, “Don’t listen to Iruma-san and her filthy mouth.”

“You love me!”

Akamatsu throws a pillow at her. “Shut up and pick the next movie!”

 

* * *

 

They watch two more movies, neither being horror after more than a few complaints about not being able to sleep (and at one point, a disgruntled Momota showed up at the door with the request to “please stop screaming or so help me, I’m gonna think someone is gettin’ murdered over here”. Chabashira kicked him out), and while the night rolls on, Toujou notes that they’re all slowly succumbing to the throes of sleep.

“We don’t have to stay up until one,” Toujou says just a few minutes into the third movie.

“But we’re so close!” Akamatsu groans as she gets to her feet (“Ow, my hip,” she hisses, and Iruma cackles something about her getting too old for this) but she relents anyway, “I’ll start setting up the futons. Don’t be afraid to snuggle up, I don’t have a lot of floor space but we should all fit.”

“I can sleep on the couch,” Toujou offers. She assists her with the set-up, lying the comforters flat on the ground side-by-side, while the other girls just shrug uselessly and leave them to it.

“I mean, you can if you want,” the pianist’s brows knit, hands paused over unfolding one of the sheets. “But don’t feel like you have to. We don’t mind cuddling, we’re all friends here.”

Angie beams at her. “Yep yep, and this is just a lovely way to spend time with friends, Kirumi!” She catches the futon that Akamatsu hands to her and smacks it into the ground, waving wildly. “Here! You can come sleep with Angie, if you like!”

“Ugh,” Iruma says, rolling her eyes. “Obviously, if you wanted to sleep with someone, you’d sleep with me!”

“Angie, I’m using you as a pillow,” Yumeno declares.

“Nyahaha! Fine by me!”

“So how’s about it,” Iruma continues, ignoring them. “Wanna huddle up?”

“I am fine,” Toujou says. “But thank you for offering.”

“Your loss!” She grins, snatching Harukawa as she passes by. “You and me then, pigtails! C'mere!”

Harukawa gives her a withering look.

“Group hug!” Akamatsu cheers, taking both of them into her arms, ignoring Iruma’s squawking and Harukawa’s long sigh. Angie jumps onto her, and so does Yumeno, clinging to the soft fabric around Akamatsu’s waist.

Shirogane titters, hand over mouth again before Angie yanks her and Chabashira into the hug, and Chabashira grabs Toujou.

“Was this really necessary,” Toujou muses, being pressed up against the girls and bringing her arms wide with a soft acceptance. It isn't unpleasant, she supposes, in fact, it is quite the opposite. 

“We should just sleep like this. Just fall to the ground in a big pile.” Akamatsu laughs. “It’ll be a bonding experience.”

“I was under the impression that this whole night was supposed to be a bonding experience.”

“And that it is! Look, we’re all closer!”

“Alright, hug over, you've had your fun.” Harukawa wriggles around a bit, demanding to be freed.

“You’re so small and we've got you surrounded,” Akamatsu giggles, “How about you try getting out yourself?”

Harukawa seems to raise her eyebrow at that. “Are you really going to challenge me?”

“Why not? It’ll be fun to see you try.”

“Um,” Chabashira pipes up. “Harukawa-san could probably lift us all at the same time, so, ah, Tenko’s not sure if you really wanna challenge–”

Harukawa doesn't wait for her to finish, jumping swiftly into her first course of action which is elbowing Iruma out of the way (“What the fuck!? Why me!? You have pointy arms, ya know!” The inventor yelps), which knocks her into Shirogane, who squeals as she’s caught by Chabashira, making a dive for the girl as she falls.

Toujou exits the hug gracefully, not wanting to join the tousle, when Angie climbs up Akamatsu’s back to help her keep Harukawa in headlock. Yumeno seems to also have given up, slumping motionlessly to the floor, and when Toujou gently pokes her, it seems the magician has already decided to drift off into dreamland.

Sighing, Toujou carries her into the nearest futon – away from the impromptu fight, and makes a mental note to force all the girls to brush their teeth first thing in the morning.

With only Angie and Akamatsu trying to hold her down, they’re no match for Harukawa, and she flips them over, the two of them falling into the floor with a giddy crash.

“Okay! Okay! You win!” Akamatsu allows, peeling herself off of Angie, before helping the artist to her feet. Angie giggles, kissing the hand gently before allowing it to depart. Akamatsu grins at her before directing her gaze, fondly, at Harukawa. “Geez, I should’ve known not to underestimate you! You're stronger than you look!”

“You just keep losing today, don’t you, Akamatsu-san?” Shirogane remarks, amused.

“I can’t help it,” she clutches her chest dramatically. “Cute girls are my only weakness.”

“Hopeless.” Harukawa comments, shaking her head.

“Excuse you!”

“I am excused, thank you.”

“Alright.” Toujou smiles lightly, but her tone of voice invites no further arguments. “Time to wind down now. You have had enough fun, and require sufficient rest to perform at your best tomorrow.”

Chabashira pumps her fist into the air. “Yeah! Gotta sleep to build up your energy and pow! Tomorrow, er, today, we’ll be filled with fighting spirit!”

“That is the opposite of ‘wind down’,” Angie giggles. “C’mon Tenko, geez, you gotta chill, ya know? Chill, chill.”

Chabashira ducks her head, embarrassed, and nods as she sinks into one of the futons, face in her hands. Harukawa takes the one next to her, pulling her hair from her scrunchies and snapping the red elastics against her wrist before curling up under the blanket like a cat.

Iruma flops down in the one on the other side of Chabashira, mumbling something about needing protection. The rest of the girls follow suit, until Akamatsu tilts her head at Toujou, silently asking if she still wants the couch. Toujou nods, because it’s not like she hasn’t slept on worse, and Akamatsu shoots her a kind smile. “Can you get the lights when you’re ready, Toujou-san?”

“Of course,” she replies.

Toujou switches off the lights and takes to the couch, sliding in with barely a sound and listening keenly to anyone who may still require her assistance before she slumbers. They’re mostly all worn out by now, though the recent buzz of company still hangs in the air. It brings a pleasant warmth to Toujou’s chest, when she thinks about it.

She finds comfort in these reflective moments, because they allow her to arrange her thoughts in a manner that’s nigh impossible during the hectic nature of the night.

Of course, the silence doesn’t last long.

“Soooo… anyone got any clue why airplanes are so fuckin’ awesome as an invention but suck balls to sit in? Like who decided to give people the ability to fly through the air at never-seen-before speeds and reach greater heights only for it to suck the entire time? Nobody even fucking likes planes, and you’d think that we have the tech to make them more fun, y’know? What the fuck’s up with that?”

Chabashira groans, clapping her pillow over her head. “Go to sleep, Iruma-san!”

“I’m just sayin’! Isn’t it weird how shitty planes are? Those sweet mother of fuckers are no primitive feat, so why are they just flying tin cans? I mean, the only thing remotely sexy about a plane is how long—”

“Iruma-san, oh my _gosh_ ,” Akamatsu huffs, but it’s more a gentle exasperation than anything else. “Let us sleep in peace.”

“Fine! I’ll ruminate in my genius all on my own, then!”

“Just be quiet,” Angie mumbles. “That’s all we ask.”

“Waah, okay, I-I’m sorry, already…! G-geez…! Way to be ungrateful…!”

“Goodnight everyone!” Akamatsu calls over her muttering, effectively drawing it to a halt.

“Goodnight,” the girls chorus.

 

* * *

 

Toujou prides herself in being an early riser, so she is mostly free from Akamatsu’s cruelty — though the pianist bemoans not being able to see her “surely angelic sleeping face”, she seems grateful for the company, as she whispers, “If I get attacked, you must avenge me, Toujou-san.”

The maid stifles a laugh, wondering just what she means by that until Akamatsu advances in her first target (Iruma, naturally) and starts whacking her with a pillow. Toujou almost feels bad; usually she wakes her masters more kindly.

“Wake up!” The pianist calls. “Day’s awasting!”

“What the fuck, I’m up, I’m up! Holy shit,” Iruma grabs the pillow and starts whacking her in the leg in retaliation. Akamatsu bursts into a fit of giggles and falls into the futon. Iruma rolls on top of her and pins her down, forbidding her escape. “I wasn’t even sleeping, idiot! I was just resting my eyes! You attacked me for no reason! Asshole!”

“Toujou-saaaan!” Akamatsu cries, laughing all the while. “Avenge me!”

Toujou ignores her cries as she gently shakes Shirogane awake, startling her from her sleepy mumbles that sounded suspiciously like ‘top 100 anime wives’.

“Good morning, Toujou-san. Waking up to you is certainly an unexpected pleasure,” she greets blearily. “Breakfast soon?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Toujou responds. “Though we will have to wake the others first.”

Shirogane seems to spot the tousled pile of Akamatsu and Iruma fighting each other, and she smiles. “They’re so lively this morning, huh?”

“As with every morning,” she agrees. “Shall I wake Chabashira-san and Harukawa-san, and you manage Angie-san and Yumeno-san?”

Shirogane obeys, but apparently is unaware of how difficult the smallest girls were to rouse, as she finds herself suddenly stuck between them as they nestle against her in their sleep. She squeaks as Yumeno’s (notorious to only those who knew) sleeping death grip seizes her ankle, and she starts goading the magician gently into waking.

Angie joins in when her eyes blink open, finally, and the two of them manage to wrangle Yumeno from her sleep with gentle encouragements - though it is currently undecided whether Angie grabbing her and shaking her would fall under that category. 

Toujou smiles softly, leaving them to their struggle as she taps Harukawa on the forehead, pulling the girl’s long hair out of her eyes as she groans into consciousness.

She allows her time to gain her bearings and thus advances on Chabashira next, who in all respects looks like an utter mess.

Chabashira doesn’t wake for anything — no shaking, no tapping, no rolling — and Akamatsu finally flees from Iruma and the two come over to help.

“You should just pick her up and throw her,” Iruma supplies unhelpfully.

Toujou rolls up her sleeves.

“Or you could _not_ do that,” Akamatsu says, taking her by the wrist. “How about we all just sit on her?”

“How about,” Iruma begins, dismissing Akamatsu’s suggestion immediately. “We tickle her! That’ll get her going!”

“No!”

“Breathe down her neck!”

“That’s creepy!”

“Yo, Chabashira… wakey-wakey,” Yumeno says. It's evidently her best idea.

Chabashira shoots up from her bed, alarmed. “What is it, Yumeno-san?!”

“Oh my fucking god. No way.” Iruma whispers unbelievingly.

“Hopeless.” Harukawa comments once more, shaking her head.

 

* * *

 

Breakfast goes swimmingly – after Toujou deems them all ready to face the outside world, at least, including much scolding and mad dashes between rooms to find clean clothes for the day. It isn’t a necessity, bar their presentability being an asset to their school’s reputation, however Toujou does find it a touch amusing watching them run around frantically to prepare for a promised meal. For a commercial affair, it is impeccable, she must admit.

Perhaps some meals simply taste better when someone else is paying, she muses, slightly ashamed by the thought but finding it comical nonetheless.

The banter does not end at breakfast, but seeing them all so satisfied stirs that gentle warmth in Toujou’s chest anew, and she hides her smile behind her tea with considerable effort.

“We should do this again,” Akamatsu suggests after downing her final bowl of miso soup. “Make it our thing!”

“Sure this isn’t just your ploy to get a bunch of hot single babes into your room?” Iruma teases.

“Well, it doesn’t have to be my room, and I’m sure I can find enough hot singles if I wanted,” Akamatsu quips, eyebrows raising. “How about yours next time, Iruma-san?”

“E-eh, m-mine?! N-no, we can’t use m-mine… the haven of a genius can’t be interrupted by plebs like you…!”

Angie giggles. “Got something you don’t want us to see, Miu?”

“N-n-no…! Why would I be hiding anything?! I’m not hiding anything!”

Luckily for Iruma, Harukawa states quite frankly, “I do not want to step one foot into Iruma’s room.”

“Same,” Yumeno agrees. “Mhm... it’s probably filled with all kinds of weird things.”

Iruma looks offended, but for once chooses not to argue for her cause, instead drawing her finger on Chabashira. “What about Miss Andry, huh!? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind some hot singles in her room! How’s about it, Tenho?”

“Can you please stop referring to us as ‘hot singles’?” Shirogane blabs, waving her arms about.

She goes ignored as Chabashira blushes and cups her face. “E-er… Tenko wouldn’t mind, but… a bit of warning! Please! Before you come! So Tenko can tidy up!”

“Then it’s settled!” Akamatsu salutes. “Next Friday, Tenko’s room!”

Toujou inclines her head. “Chabashira-san, if you require assistance setting up, please let me know.”

“Ah— yes!”

“Chabashira.” Harukawa bows slightly over the table. “We’ll be in your care.”

“Ah, yes! Of course…!”

“She’s gonna make us do exercise,” Angie huffs, not unkindly.

“N-no, Tenko won’t!” Chabashira flounders, still looking flushed. “Um, if it’s okay, actually, Tenko heard that sometimes people do, um, dressing up? At sleepovers? If that’s something anyone is interested in…!”

“ _Yes_ , let’s do it!” Akamatsu answers, clasping her hands together excitedly. “Chabashira-san, I have this dress you _have_ to wear, it would look so cute on you!”

“I—um, thank you, Akamatsu-san…” Chabashira reddens even further, pressing her pointer fingers together.

“Shirogane-san is rather skilled in makeup,” Toujou comments. “If you were hoping to dress up, it would make sense to have the full makeover, wouldn’t it?”

“W-well, cosplay makeup and day-to-day makeup is a little different, but…” Shirogane blushes. “If you are willing to rely on me, I will do my best!”

Iruma breaks out of her contemplative silence with a snap of her fingers. “Hey, why stop there? If we’re gonna doll up, we should hit the town! I’ve been itchin’ to get out and the more the merrier! ‘Course, I dunno where we’d go, but I gotta try out my new invention before these big boys get snatched up— it’s called the ‘Ride N’ Die’!”

Akamatsu asks. “... shouldn’t it be ‘ride _or_ die’?”

“I know what I said!”

“Nobody’s riding or dying. Or any combination of the two.” Toujou says curtly. “But if we are to exit the campus at night, for personal reasons or otherwise, Iruma-san is right. It would be wise to go as a group.”

“Yeah, that’s right!” Iruma croons. “I’m a fuckin’ genius!”

“We’ve got a plan, then!” Akamatsu scans the table. “Are we all good with that?”

Everyone nods.

“Looks like we’re done here!” Angie concludes cheerfully swirling the straw in her glass. “Kaede, time to pay up!”

“They sure start trainin’ sugar mamas early these days,” Iruma chortles.

“Implying that you gave me anything in return,” Akamatsu levels her with a look.

“I gave you the pleasure of spendin’ some time with me, didn’t I?! What more do you want? A good long eyeful of my tits?!”

Angie jostles her. “She means ‘thank you so much Kaede, we love you’!”

Iruma elbows her back. “Oi, fuck you! Don’t go puttin’ words in my mouth!”

“Thank you, Akamatsu-san,” Toujou nods at her, speaking calmly over their squabble. Harukawa echoes the same sentiment, tugging at her pigtails shyly. Shirogane, who is seated beside her, pats her arm awkwardly and smiles at Akamatsu. Yumeno sends the pianist a lazy thumbs-up.

“ _Uwaah!_ Thank you so much! Our gracious host! Or, hostess?” Chabashira gushes, leaning over the table to grab Akamatsu’s hand. “Everything will be on Tenko next time, so please allow me to return the favor as much as you like, Akamatsu-san!”

“Gotcha, sweetheart,” Akamatsu waves the server over, miming for the bill. Then she beams back at the group, eyes swimming with mirth. “Oh, and girls? It was my pleasure.”

 


End file.
